The present disclosure relates to an infusion delivery system and method. The infusion system and method includes a detection device which detects an encrypted signaling component or device on an infusate set in order to identify the set. The system is then configured to operate according to an administration protocol for the identified infusate set, the particular patient, other drugs being administered, the hospital practice, and so forth. The signal component or device may be optical (e.g. read a barcode), electrical, RFID, magnetic, chemical, ultrasonic, mechanical or combinations thereof.
Infusion treatment is a common medical practice for delivering a medicament to a patient. Infusion treatment typically entails delivering a fluid infusate, either parenterally or enterally, to a patient with an infusion device, most commonly an infusion pump. The infusate is typically provided by an infusion set having an infusate source, an infusate tube extending from the infusate source and a slide clamp adapted to receive the infusate tube. The slide clamp, which assists with infusate flow regulation, and the infusate tube when connected to the infusion pump place the infusate in fluid communication with the infusion pump.
Delivery of the infusate to the patient typically involves the physical and/or mechanical manipulation of the infusate tube by the infusion pump. Conventional infusion pumps customarily include parameters that may be adjusted in order to adapt to specific infusion set administration protocol delivery requirements. The parameters may include settings to accommodate the composition of the infusate, the physical and/or material properties of the infusate tube and the flow rate for effective infusate delivery, for example. The parameters may also include settings to accommodate the use of a special set compatible with a specific infusate, or to accommodate the use of a special set including a specific set component such as a particular valve or sensor.
As the number and sophistication of infusion set delivery requirements and infusion pump settings has increased, so too has the likelihood increased for a mismatch between the infusion set delivery requirements and the infusion pump settings. Such a mismatch may be highly injurious and potentially lethal to the infusion treatment patient. To further complicate matters, infusion pumps are typically undedicated, portable medical resources moved between different patients in a health care facility. Left unchecked, the infusion pump settings for one patient may be highly dangerous to a subsequent patient in need of the infusion pump. Relying on already overburdened health care professionals to ensure every infusion set delivery parameter is properly set on the infusion pump does not reduce the risk of mismatch between the infusion set requirements and the infusion pump settings to an acceptable level. What is needed is a better way to ensure that a particular infusion set is the correct one for use with a particular infusion device or pump, and preferably with a particular patient and infusion protocol.